Pluckley Church of England Primary School‘Enjoying, Learning and Achieving Together.’

Online Concerns / Reporting

Are you worried your child is being groomed or is somehow in clear danger online?

Please click the below button to get in touch with the police immediately. This link directs you to the Children's Exploitation and Online Protection department of the U.K. Police force.

If you have any worries or concerns, please feel free to contact:

Mr Watson – Designated Safeguarding Lead

or

Mrs Smith or Miss Martin (Deputy DSL)

Online Information for Parents

Online Safety is fundamental in our quest to keep children safe- at home and school. As a parent or carer you play a key role in helping your child to stay safe online.

Regular assemblies focus upon how children should use the internet safely and the risks if children have unrestricted access to sites they are too young for. If a site has an age restriction, then it is there for the safety of all children (popular social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram etc. have a recommended age of 13+).

Cyber-bullying is a very real and current issue, we discuss this with our children in school regularly. However, the more access a child has to social networking sites the greater the chance that conversations between children can become unregulated.

As a school it is our duty to advise and share concerns. The internet has so many positives but the internet can also open the door to a world our children should be protected from. We hope this page provides you with information to help you to help your children stay safe online.

1. WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

The most serious threats we are faced with when using the internet, can roughly be grouped into six areas of risk. They are:

Cyberbullies and trolls who deliberately engage in malicious or vindictive behaviour.

Inappropriate text, images and videos, which are a threat due to their emotive, hateful, violent or sexual content.

Hackers and data thieves who might attempt to crack passwords, copy files and steal data such as credit card numbers.

The risk of downloading a virus, or being affected by malware or spyware.

Cons and scams which can lead to losing money, or exposure to the above risks 1-5.

Predators who might be tempted to make contact with a child or begin 'grooming' them.

2. HOW DO WE GUARD AGAINST THEM?

Now that the risks have been firmly established, the way forward is this: an internet user should ask three key questions about the technology they are using, whether it be a device, an app, a website, a service, Xbox live etc:

What are the dangers presented by this particular technology?

What is the worst case scenario when using this?

How, if at all, can we use this technology safely?

E-Safety education is firmly embedded into the curriculum. Children in ALL years groups are taught about the risks of using the internet and technology and what to do if they come across inappropriate material. We also celebrated 'Safer Internet Day' which happens every year in February.

We reinforce the following key steps with the children:

1) If A child encounters anything they are not comfortable with, then they should tell an adult they trust immediately.
2) Children should never give out personal details on-line, such as their full name, age, gender, location, school e-mail address or phone number.
3) If the decision is made to meet an internet acquaintance in person, then a parent or carer is to accompany them. Children of primary school age are strongly advised NEVER to meet someone whom they only know on-line.
4) Children should not deliberately search for inappropriate things, and should resist peer-pressure to do so.
5) They are not to trust 'win an ipad' adverts, nor to open emails or download anything from sources they don't recognise or trust.
6) They should never take, send, nor receive revealing pictures of themselves or others. 'Sexting' is both dangerous and illegal.
7) Children should protect all devices and services with a PIN or a secure password which remains secret.
8) All existing, emerging and future technologies should be evaluated using the three key questions:

-What can go wrong?

-What is the worst-case-scenario?

Then: How, if at all, can we use this technology safely?
9) Children are to be aware that unkind messages constitute cyber-bullying, and to be alert not to become a perpetrator, nor an accessory to cyber-bullying. Children are also be on the look out for their friends, in case they are targeted. Children are taught to take a screenshot of, and report any malicious or vindictive messages received to an adult they trust.
10) Finally, Children should be aware of the power of the police to investigate cyber-bullying.

3. DO YOU WISH TO REPORT A THREAT URGENTLY?

Are you worried your child is being groomed or is somehow in clear danger online?

Please click the CEOP to get in touch with the police immediately. This link directs you to the Children's Exploitation and Online Protection department of the U.K. Police force. Please feel free to contact a member of the Pluckley Church of England Safeguarding team,if you require any further assistance, as they are here to help.

4. WHAT STEPS DOES NORTHDOWN TAKE TO MANAGE RISKS AND DANGERS?

To minimise the chance of children encountering any of the potential risks of using the internet we have measures in place here at Pluckley Church of England Primary School.

These measures include the following:

All internet traffic both in and out of the school is monitered and firewalled by EIS

Should a pupil ever encounter something they don't like on screen, they are taught to speak to an adult immediately, who will note the screen, then alert the Online Safety Leader / Designated Safeguarding Lead.

All pupils are given a password, which they are instructed to keep private, so no one but they can access their files or.

The use of Youtube is restricted to teachers only, with strict policy of teachers vetting all clips privately, prior to showing children.

The school features a 'Keeping Safe Online' poster, on display in every classroom. This shows pupils all the safe choices they are required to make, whilst explaining how each rule keeps them clear of danger.

Online Safety is embedded into the curriculum and teaches children about potential risks online, elaborating on different dangers at an age-appropriate level.

If they receive a message that concerns or upsets them, pupils are taught to take a screen shot, save and if possible print this, whilst alerting an adult.

5. WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES AS A PARENT OR CARER?

1. Firstly, it is necessary to do all you can to establish a positive, trusting relationship with your child.

-Discuss the risk of online use and ensure that they make the same safe choices indicated by them.

-Reassure them that you are ready to help should they encounter a problem such as: an unkind message, an inappropriate image or video that contains swearing or nudity, or if they have suspicions about someone who is contacting them etc.

The NSPCC Has some superb advice and videos about this, and further aspects of online safety.

2) Set privacy settings for gaming devices with this guide, courtesy of O2. Also, use Internet settings that filter searches for adult content.

3) Install anti-virus software on all your devices. A useful link for this is available below.

4) Be vigilant and monitor what activitIes are being undertaken by your children. Ensure they are playing games with a suitable PEGI certificate. Ensure they do not use social networking sites till they are of a suitable age. Facebook for example, does not admit members who are under 13. The following guide provides clarification:

5) If you feel your child is being cyber-bullied, please take a screenshot of the offense, and ask to see the Designated Safeguarding Lead or a member of the Safeguarding Team. Ensure your children know how to use moderating facilities such as blocking, reporting and flagging. This document provides further advice about bullying and cyberbullying.

6) Set strong passwords, such as, Ha55yP0tter or Sp0ng3b0b. Tell your child not to share their passwords with friends and don’t give them your own passwords.

7) Advise your child to think before they post. Remind them that everything can be seen by a vast, invisible audience (otherwise known as friends-of-friends-of-friends), and, once something's online, it's hard to take back. Everyone should show respect to others on-line, both children and adults alike.

Crucially, personal details must always be kept private. These include, your child's full name, address, age, date of birth, etc. Advise them to use nicknames and Avatars wherever possible.

8) When they are old enough to use social media, be a Facebook 'friend' and Twitter 'follower' etc. Each family will have different rules, but it's a good idea for parents to have access to their child’s pages, at least at first, to be sure that what's being posted is appropriate. Parents can help keep their children from doing something they'll regret later.